General Question

Does the symbol of a gear represent anything?

I’m thinking of a tattoo design and I would like it to be based around the shape of a gear. Since a tattoo is a huge dead (at least to me) and it’s mostly permanent, I want to make sure a gear doesn’t represent anything racist or hate-related like a Swastika or Iron Cross.

I’m guessing ‘deal’, too. As for the actual question, this is the only info I found on it:

“The Gear Represents the Industrial Society
The gear, symbolic of the industrial society, denotes the interdependence and co?operation of the individual working together with labor and management for the betterment of mankind.”

That description pertains to a certain organization’s use of the gear as a symbol, and probably is not applicable in a broader sense.

I was thinking of a gear for a few reasons.
1) I interned at a machine shop for 1 1/2 years and loved it there
2) I’m fascinated with mechanics.
3) I know they could be symbolic of time and, being a physics and metaphysics geek, I feel it would be pretty damn cool.
4) I’m into steam-punk stuff.

By the way, I meant to say “huge deal,” not “huge dead.” :]
Thanks for all the help